Mill redevelopment may be reality soon
By: Stephanie Prokop
FLORENCE The Florence Township Council took a step toward putting the redevelopment of the Roebling Steel Mill site in motion last week when it unanimously approved an ordinance on Oct. 4 authorizing the sale of the site to a Pennsylvania company.
Preferred Real Estate, LLC, of Conshohocken, Pa, will likely construct an office campus on most of the 176-acre site that will be rented to corporate clients. The unsold portions will be leased to the Roebling Historical Society for a new museum and to NJ Transit, which operates the nearby Roebling light rail station.
Scott Tattar, a representative from Preferred Real Estate, said that sales price has not yet been made public.
Mr. Tattar said the company has a 90-day period to inspect the property. If the company finds it isn’t 100 percent satisfied, it may terminate the sale during this period, he said.
Mr. Tattar said that the inspection is standard in the majority of real estate sales, and he also stressed the importance of his company sitting down with the township and deciding together what kind of development will maximize the area’s potential.
The ordinance authorizing the execution of an agreement of sale was previously discussed at the Sept. 13 council meeting.
Florence Township Mayor Michael J. Muchowski gave some credit for the milestone to those who preceded the current committee members.
"If not for the efforts that have been set into place before us, then we would have not have had the redevelopment opportunities, and the foundation needs to be set for those who come after us as well," he said.
"I’m very proud that this all happened in my lifetime," commented former Florence Township Mayor George Sampson at the Oct. 4 meeting.
While portions of the 176-acre property will remain in the township’s hands, the majority of it about 160 to 170 acres, according to Township Administrator Richard Brook will be available for Preferred Real Estate’s redevelopment project. The project is expected to include office buildings, some high-tech manufacturing, and retail space.
In addition, the area classified as "slag" the byproduct that forms when steel is created or melded together will remain undeveloped.
Out of the approximately 15 residents at the meeting, the overall consensus was in favor of the redevelopment of the site. One resident, who lives near Ninth Avenue, expressed concern that the development that may impede the scenic views of the surrounding area.
"You wouldn’t believe the rumors that we’ve all been hearing," Simonne Gadbois said. "You put a 20-story apartment building between my house and the river, and that ain’t going to fly," she said.
Mayor Muchowski told residents that the revitalization of the area would be mindful of all parties involved.
"We move forward with this decision with guarded optimism," he said, "We’ve begun to put some of the basic parameters into place, and we’ve worked very hard to make sure the quality of life of the residents remains."
William Bott, a Roebling resident, said he is happy to see that the redevelopment is coming along in his lifetime.
"I would just like to commend all of the councilmen, going back about 15 years," he said. "You all have worn so many hats, and you did it."
Regarded as a hot-button issue, the mayor also said that the project was a "cornerstone of the village, and it is with great pride and respect that each person approach the project."
After the Roebling Steel Mill closed in 1974, the site passed through multiple hands, many of which used it as a dump. By 1983, the EPA had declared the property a Superfund site in need of toxic waste removal.
To date, the EPA has spent $46 million on cleaning up the site, and for the past three years, the township has been in negotiations with Preferred Real Estate.
The site, described by some of the council members as a "jewel in the rough" has been described as having both advantages and disadvantages for potential developers.
Some of the advantages of the site include its proximity to light rail service, I-295, and the nearby New Jersey Turnpike entrance, said Mayor Muchowski.
Potential disadvantages that could be the inability of local roads to handle increased traffic generated by the redevelopment project, he said.
Council member Jerry Sandusky stated that the redevelopment project is one in which the vote "will be made with assurance, and we hope that this will fulfill our needs for the township."

